Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Russia has tested a new powerful weapon - a larger schematic from Kommersant is now available (click to enlarge)

The bomb, which has no official designation is air launched and guided by satellite positioning and it is described as the most powerful non - nuclear weapon ever - exceeding famous 21,000lb MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast/Mother Of All Bombs

This is a 2 stage 7 ton thermobaric weapon that creates a massive shockwave which is claimed to be equivalent to 40 tons of TNT. A first charge disperses the high energy ethylene oxide fuel and a second charge then explodes the gas cloud in a blast area of 300metres. Comparisons with nuclear bombs is pointless as it has less than 5% of the smallest kiloton-sized tactical weapon - the mushroom cloud could however have massive psyops oportunities.

Just as the USAF used the BLU-82 "Daisycutter" bombs for this in the 1991 Gulf war.

It is claimed that the intense energy owes some of its effect to nanotechnology - but few details are available. It was tested on the 11th of September (which may or may not be significant) can create overpressures equal to an atomic bomb, Alexander Rukshin,(pic) deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces claimed on Russia's state ORT First Channel television. The same report was later shown on the state-sponsored Vesti channel."You will now see it in action, the bomb which has no match in the world is being tested at a military site." This showed a Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber dropping the bomb over a testing ground. A large explosion followed..

"It is environmentally friendly, compared to a nuclear bomb, and it will enable us to ensure national security and at the same time stand up to international terrorism in any part of the globe and in any situation."

Lt. General McInerney, chairman of the Iran Policy Committee, and former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force after news of the test said that the US could field a 14 ton penetrating bomb and graphically described it as ..."a new massive ordnance penetrator that's 30,000 pounds, that really penetrates ... Ahmadinejad has nothing in Iran that we can't penetrate."